Motorola Corporation

Michael C Keeling

Israel A Lesk

Robert A Pryor

Michael G Coleman

William L Bailey

Dwight E Doss

Richard W Gurtler

Robert Maxwell Handy

An enclosed solar cell array. The array is enclosed between a metal back plate and a cover glass. The edges of the enclosure are sealed by a pliable sealant material and a spring loaded bezel that is riveted or welded in place. The interior of the enclosure is filled with a potting material which surrounds and cushions the solar cell array. During the module fabrication a fixture supports the enclosure parts and provides a temporary edge seal to facilitate the potting procedure. Controlled flexure of the enclosure back plate and controlled spacing of the cover glass ensure a compressive loading of the potting material which eliminates possible delamination of the potting material in its subsequent usage.

Enclosure for a solar cell array

An interconnection system for interconnecting a plurality of photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic devices each have a first and a second side and the interconnect system is located on the second side of the photovoltaic devices. A sheet of dielectric material and a sheet of electrically conductive material are bonded together and positioned so that the dielectric material is next to the photovoltaic devices. A plurality of patterns are formed in the sheet of electrically conductive material. The patterns each have angled tabs punched therein so that the angled tabs are punched through both the electrically conductive material and the dielectric material. When a photovoltaic device is positioned within a group of angled tabs, the angled tabs can be brought into contact with electrical contacts on the first side of the photovoltaic device. The group of angled tabs are electrically common to a part of the pattern which has an extended portion which extends beneath an adjacent photovoltaic device. Some of the dielectric material is removed from the extended portion so that this portion then makes contact with the second side of an adjacent photovoltaic device. The patterns can be formed in predetermined configurations to provide series or series-parallel interconnections for photovoltaic devices within an array of photovoltaic devices. The interconnect system, in turn, provides for substantially all possible series, parallel, or series-parallel interconnections of a plurality of arrays.

Method for interconnecting photovoltaic devices

An enclosure for a solar cell array and a method of fabricating a solar cell module. The array is enclosed between a metal back plate and a cover glass. The edges of the enclosure are sealed by a pliable sealant material and a spring loaded bezel that is riveted or welded in place. The interior of the enclosure is filled with a potting material which surrounds and cushions the solar cell array. During the module fabrication a fixture supports the enclosure parts and provides a temporary edge seal to facilitate the potting procedure. Controlled flexure of the enclosure back plate and controlled spacing of the cover glass ensure a compressive loading of the potting material which eliminates possible delamination of the potting material in its subsequent usage.

Method for encapsulating a solar cell array

A solar heat collector having reduced convention losses until a predetermined absorber means excess temperature is reached and including a radiant energy absorbing means which has a first and a second surface. Means for the passage of a fluid to be heated is positioned in contact with the second surface of the absorbing means. Means for reducing conduction losses are positioned adjacent to the means for passage thereby sandwiching the means for passage between the absorbing means and the means for reducing. Glazing means which is transparent to radiant energy is positioned over the first surface of the absorbing means and is spaced apart therefrom thereby trapping air between the glazing means and the absorbing means. Means to suppress convection flow of the trapped air until a predetermined absorbing means temperature is reached. The means to suppress convection is located between the glazing means and the absorbing means thereby reducing losses due to convection from the absorbing means. The means to suppress convection losses provides for very high operating efficiencies at all operating temperatures up to a predetermined maximum, at which it ceases to function and the efficiency quickly reaches zero with any additional increase in collector operating temperature.

Solar heat collector with convection suppressor

Interconnection for photovoltaic device array

A modular flat plate solar collector for fluid such as air or water includes a plurality of stacked, separable solar collector elements or sub-assemblies. Removable fastening members maintain the sub-assemblies in intimate contact with each other during operation and permit access and replacement of the sub-assemblies for repair purposes. This modular approach provides a reliable, low-cost and structurally strong unit. The use of a flow channel plate having passages with aspect ratios substantially in the range of 20 or greater further improves the performance and efficiency of the collector.

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Tempe, AZ, United States of America

Michael C Keeling